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§ 7, § 8 LBO

Abstandsflächen in Saarland

In Saarland the depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, at least 3. m. The governing provision is § 7, § 8 LBO. H is the wall height from ground level to the point where the wall meets the roof surface.

0.4 H · min. 3. m
As of 08/2026

The dimensions

What § 7, § 8 LBO requires

Standard factor 0.4 H
Minimum depth 3. m
Commercial and industrial zones 0.2 H – § 8 Abs. 1 lässt bei Wänden ohne Öffnungen 1,50 m bzw. 2,50 m zu
Central area in Kerngebieten steht es im Ermessen der Behörde, weniger als 0,4 H zu gestatten
Roof allowance Dachflächen über 70° Neigung werden voll auf H angerechnet, Dachflächen über 45° zu einem Drittel. Das ist die Formel, die Ratgeber meist für ganz Deutschland behaupten – sie gilt in vier Ländern. Giebelflächen werden nach der Summe der Dachneigungen beurteilt (Schwelle 140°).
Special rule for residential buildings 3 m genügen für Wohngebäude der Gebäudeklassen 1 und 2 mit höchstens drei oberirdischen Geschossen.

Work it out yourself

Calculating Abstandsflächen in Saarland

Set eaves height, roof pitch, building depth and distance to the boundary — the required depth is calculated under § 7, § 8 LBO as you go. The roof allowance is what stands out: the same building yields different values of H across the 16 states.

Boundary

Under § 7, § 8 LBO

6.00 m
35 °
10.00 m
3.00 m
Ridge above eaves 3.50 m
of which counted 0.00 m
governing height H 6.00 m
required depth 3.00 m

The setback area lies entirely on the plot. 3.00 m are required, 3.00 m are kept.

A symmetrical gable roof and level ground are assumed. The figure is geometric, not a statement about permissibility: a local by-law, a development plan or a building encumbrance can set different dimensions.

Worked through

Worked examples at a glance

Depth = 0.4 × H, but never less than 3. m. These values apply to a wall in the standard case; commercial zones, core zones and privileged boundary structures follow the figures above and below.

Wall height H Calculation Depth of the setback area
3. m 0.4 × 3. = 1.2 m → minimum applies 3. m
4.5 m 0.4 × 4.5 = 1.8 m → minimum applies 3. m
6.5 m 0.4 × 6.5 = 2.6 m → minimum applies 3. m
9. m 0.4 × 9. = 3.6 m 3.6 m
12. m 0.4 × 12. = 4.8 m 4.8 m

Building on the boundary

What may stand on the boundary in Saarland without a setback area

Garages, carports and garden sheds may stand directly on the property boundary under narrow conditions. The dimensions differ in every state.

Height 3. m
Length per boundary 12. m
Total length along all boundaries 15. m
Additional conditions grenzseitige mittlere Wandhöhe, Firsthöhe höchstens 4 m. Dachneigung höchstens 45°, keine Dachgauben. Für Nebengebäude und Gewächshäuser gilt zusätzlich eine Grenze von 30 m³ Brutto-Rauminhalt – für Garagen nicht.
Habitable rooms and fireplaces Nutzung auf Abstellen und Lagern begrenzt; explosions- und brandgefährliche Stoffe ausgeschlossen

In comparison

What is different in Saarland

Neben Rheinland-Pfalz das zweite Land mit 12 m je Grenze – aber zugleich mit einer Firsthöhengrenze von 4 m und einem Gaubenverbot, die es andernorts nicht gibt.

On the roof allowance: Dachflächen über 70° Neigung werden voll auf H angerechnet, Dachflächen über 45° zu einem Drittel. Das ist die Formel, die Ratgeber meist für ganz Deutschland behaupten – sie gilt in vier Ländern. This system is shared by 4 of the 16 states. The formula that guides usually claim applies across Germany — "over 70° in full, over 45° one third" — applies in only four.

All 16 states compared →

Limits of this information

What this page does not answer

These figures reproduce the state building code. A local by-law, a development plan or a registered building encumbrance can set different dimensions — and there is no nationwide register of such by-laws. Only the building authority's own information is binding.

Also not covered: provisions in the development plan, registered building encumbrances, the duty of mutual consideration between neighbours, fire-safety distances, and whether a project is exempt from a permit.

And the most common error: exempt from a permit does not mean exempt from setbacks. A carport that needs no building application must still keep the setback areas.

Legal reference

Read the original

Landesbauordnung Saarland, § 7, § 8 LBO. Last amended: Gesetz Nr. 2178 vom 27.08.2025, in Kraft 15.10.2025.

LBO Saarland bei recht.saarland.de (Landesrechtsportal)

View parcel boundaries in Saarland → Official site plan for a building application

Other states

Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere

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